The present invention relates to devices for transporting greensmowers and more specifically relates to devices for transporting walk-behind greensmowers.
Walk-behind greensmowers are commonly equipped with a relatively large rear roller or drive drum, a grooved or solid front roller and a cutting reel which operates against a bed knife located between the front and rear roller. Also, it is common to construct the greensmower to include a pair of transport wheels located on axles provided as extensions of a shaft carrying the large rear roller.
The grooming of greens to provide smooth putting surface requires greensmowers constructed to provide precision adjustments of height of cut and of bed knife to reel clearance. These components to be adjusted or the adjustment mechanisms themselves are prone to being damaged and/or disturbed during the transport of the greensmower among storage and various golf course greens to be groomed.
In order to avoid or reduce these problems during transporting a greensmower, it is known to provide a two-wheel trailer equipped with a structure for clamping the greensmower at three points in such a way as to suspend the reel, bed knife and drive drum. Two of the points of suspension are defined by a pair of upright, transversely spaced posts having recesses in the tops thereof for cradling the transport wheel axle, sans transport wheel. Clamps are provided for holding the axles in the recesses.
These trailers have the disadvantage of being dedicated equipment since their construction does not lend to them being used for other purposes. Also, the trailers are constructed of metal which requires that extreme care be taken when loading or unloading a greensmower lest the bed knife, reel or other delicate structure be accidentally impacted against surfaces of the trailer with sufficient force to cause damage. Furthermore, the trailers are constructed for hauling only one greensmower at a time and the clamps must be maintained so that they work properly.